The Wild Why

“I believe that it takes one person to open your heart, to inspire you, to encourage you to make you believe that nothing is impossible. Laura Munson is that ONE person. Take this Wild Why ride with her. She will make sure you land safely and she will encourage you to find the wonder, never give up, and to seek the folks who make you swoon. You will feel like you made a new friend who you will never, ever want to let go of.""—Amy Ferris, author of Mighty Gorgeous: A Little Book About Messy Love “In The Wild Why, Laura Munson deploys self-exploration, self-sabotage, confession, contrition, ‘bonfires,’ undying love for Montana, and her own line of full-fledged writing retreats, all aimed at healing the familial, cultural, and inter-relational wounds that curtail our sense of wonder. The wonder I felt in finishing Laura’s epic? Her recipe worked!”—David James Duncan author of The River Why, The Brothers K, and Sun House “In The Wild Why, Laura Munson invites readers to answer ‘the most powerful and wonder-full question’ for themselves: ‘What can I create?’ This book is an open-hearted invitation to explore the connections between wonder and empathy, intuition and serendipity, self-compassion and creativity—and to live a bigger, braver life.”—Maggie Smith, New York Times bestselling author of You Could Make This Place Beautiful “The ability to feel wonder is part of the human experience, but life moves us further from that childlike state. The Wild Why is part memoir, part self-exploration, workbook, and tutorial on how we can reach inside and use our own sense of wonder to remove barriers, quiet naysayers, and enrich our lives.”—Lee Woodruff #1 New York Times bestselling author “Laura Munson’s exuberant book The Wild Why is for anyone seeking to heal their wonder wound and reclaim their wild wonder. Rich with serendipitous adventures and a fresh perspective on personal vulnerability, this book contributes a welcome voice to the growing literature on wonder. Get this book and get your magic back.”—Jeffrey Davis, author of Tracking Wonder: Reclaiming a Life of Meaning and Possibility in a World Obsessed with Productivity “The Wild Why will inspire you to re-discover your wonder, find your true voice, and bring back the pieces of yourself you lost along the way. This book not only reminds us about the importance of our one precious life—but helps us understand how to live it well.”—Amy B. Scher, best-selling author of This Is How I Save My Life and How To Heal Yourself When No One Else Can “The late great William Kittredge said that acts of imagination lead to acts of empathy. This wise, generous, and dazzling craft-book for the soul does just that, and in so doing resurrects in the reader the state of wonder that is so vital to our survival.”—Chris Dombrowski, author of The River You Touch “The Wild Why is an invitation and a permission slip, a beckoning and a reckoning. It’s more than a book—it’s a chill-giving, tear-inducing, wide-grinning experience. Laura Munson writes with astonishing generosity and authenticity, like she’s raising the velvet curtain to her own heart. This book is a gift to those who know there’s more to life than following rules and checking boxes. There is medicine and magic in these pages. Devour them.”—JJ Elliott, author of There Are No Rules for This